KALI. The Arabs gave this name to an annual plant which grows near the sea-shore; now known under the name of salsola soda, and from whose ashes they extracted a substance, which they called alkali, for making soap. The term kali is used by German chemists to denote caustic potash; and kalium, its metallic basis; instead of our [potassa] and [potassium], of preposterous pedigree, being derived from the words pot ashes, that is ashes prepared in a pot.
KAOLIN, (Terre à porcelaine, Fr.; Porzellanerde, Germ.), is the name given by the Chinese to the fine white clay with which they fabricate the biscuit of their porcelains. See [Clay]. Berthier’s analyses of two porcelain earths are as follows:—
| Analyses. | From Passau. | From Saint Yriex. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silica | 45 | ·06 | 46 | ·8 |
| Alumina | 32 | ·00 | 37 | ·3 |
| Lime | 0 | ·74 | — | |
| Oxide of iron | 0 | ·90 | — | |
| Potass | — | 2 | ·5 | |
| Water | 18 | ·0 | 13 | ·0 |
| 96 | ·7 | 99 | ·6 | |
KARABÉ, a name of amber, of Arabic origin, in use upon the Continent.
KELP; (Varec, Fr.; Wareck, Germ.), is the crude alkaline matter produced by incinerating various species of fuci, or sea-weed. They are cut with sickles from the rocks in the summer season, dried and then burned, with much stirring of the pasty ash. I have analyzed many specimens of kelp, and found the quantity of soluble matter in 100 parts of the best to be from 53 to 62, while the insoluble was from 47 to 38. The soluble consisted of—
| Sulphate of Soda | 8·0 | 19·0 |
| Soda in carbonate and sulphuret | 8·5 | 5·5 |
| Muriate of soda and potash | 36·5 | 37·5 |
| 53·0 | 62·0 |
The insoluble matter consisted of—
| Carbonate of lime | 24·0 | 10·0 |
| Silica | 8·0 | 0·0 |
| Alumina tinged with iron oxide | 9·0 | 10·0 |
| Sulphate of lime | 0·0 | 9·5 |
| Sulphur and loss | 6·0 | 8·5 |
| 100·0 | 100·0 |
The first of these specimens was from Heisker, the second from Rona, both in the isle of Skye, upon the property of Lord Macdonald. From these, and many other analyses which I have made, it appears that kelp is a substance of very variable composition, and hence it was very apt to produce anomalous results, when employed as the chief alkaline flux of crown glass, which it was for a very long period. The fucus vesiculosus and fucus nodosus are reckoned to afford the best kelp by incineration; but all the species yield a better product when they are of two or three years growth, than when cut younger. The varec, made on the shores of Normandy, contains almost no carbonate of soda, but much sulphate of soda and potash, some hyposulphate of potash, chloride of sodium, iodide of potassium, and chloride of potassium; the average composition of the soluble salts being, according to M. Gay Lussac, 56 of chloride of sodium, 25 of chloride of potassium, and a little sulphate of potash. The very low price at which soda ash, the dry crude carbonate from the decomposition of sea salt, is now sold, has nearly superseded the use of kelp, and rendered its manufacture utterly unprofitable—a great misfortune to the Highlands and Islands of Scotland.